Japanese Costume

-s-t JAPANESE COSTUME BY HELEN C. GUNSAULUS Assistant Curator of Japanese Ethnology WQStTY OF IUR0IS L . MCI 5 1923 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY CHICAGO 1923 >7£ VtT3f 7^ Field Museum of Natural History DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY Chicago. 1923 Leaflet Number 12 Japanese Costume Though European influence is strongly marked in many of the costumes seen today in the larger sea- coast cities of Japan, there is fortunately little change to be noted in the dress of the people of the interior, even the old court costumes are worn at a few formal functions and ceremonies in the palace. From the careful scrutinizing of certain prints, particularly those known as surimono, a good idea may be gained of the appearance of all classes of people prior to the in- troduction of foreign civilization. A special selection of these prints (Series II), chosen with this idea in mind, may be viewed each year in Field Museum in Gunsaulus Hall (Room 30, Second Floor) from April 1st to July 1st at which time it is succeeded by another selection. Since surimono were cards of greeting exchanged by the more highly educated classes of Japan, many times the figures portrayed are those known through the history and literature of the country, and as such they show forth the costumes worn by historical char- acters whose lives date back several centuries. Scenes from daily life during the years between 1760 and 1860, that period just preceding the opening up of the country when surimono had their vogue, also decorate these cards and thus depict the garments worn by the great middle class and the military (samurai) class, the majority of whose descendents still cling to the national costume. The peasants at their daily work likewise ap- pear on surimono and furnish an excellent starting [41] 2 Field Museum of Natural History point in this brief study of the dress of the people of Japan. PEASANT DRESS The foundation of the costume, indeed in some re- mote parts of the country the only article of clothing for a man, is the white cotton loin-cloth which is called fundoshi. In addition to this there is usually worn a pair of tight breeches (momohiki) or leggings (kia- ken.) Each of these garments is made of cotton material usually dyed to an indigo blue. Men and women alike, working in the fields, wear the momohiki and protect their otherwise bare feet with sandals (waraji) . These are made of rice straw and tied to the foot by straw laces (sometimes covered with white pa- per) which issue between the first and second toes, pass through loops at each side of the sandal, cross the foot to loops forming the heel piece and are again brought back to be tied over the instep. Men wear a shield of cotton cloth which covers the chest and ab- domen and ties at the back ; it is called haragake. Over this is worn a short coat (hanten) which is open in front, generally ungirt at the waist, and made with sleeves narrower than the ordinary over-garment. It is commonly dark blue in color and is often stamped with white patterns on the skirt or with the name or badge of an employer stenciled on the back between the shoulders. Peasants at work and coolies when traveling are apt to protect the forearms with a tight half-sleeve (udenuki) formed like an ill-fitting mitt with a sepa- rate opening for the thumb. They almost invariably tie up their heads with a small cotton towel (tenugui) knotted in the front. (See Fig. 3.) At the same time they may wear a straw hat (kasa) of bamboo or straw plait, in former times domed or conical in shape. To- day the flat circular ones are worn not only by coolies [42] OffcHSlTY ffir Lutfcft lOAHY S0 ^ Japanese Costume 3 but also by men and women when traveling. Kasa formerly had two pads in the crown which rested on the head leaving room for the cue (which is no longer worn) to rise between. The present day hat has a bamboo framework for crown and two tying cords in place of four as in former times. Another article worn by both peasants and travel- ers is the rain-cape (mino) of plaited straw or hemp fibre, whose long shaggy ends stand out from the body and effectively throw off the rain. Skirts (koshi- mino) of the same material are frequently seen on peasants as is the case in Fig. 1 where Hokusai has pictured a fisherman, like himself, resting for a smoke. He holds in his hand his pipe case, and tobacco pouch (tabaco-ire) , articles which were universally used in former times and carried at the belt, secured by a toggle (netsuke) which slipped under the narrow sash. His shaven head and tufted cue tell of an age which has passed. It will be noted that the woman in Fig. 2 has her arms covered with the udenuki described above. Like the man, she is also enjoying her small pipe. This recreation has for several generations been indulged in by women in all walks of life. Though many of the peasants while at work wear trousers and straw rain- coats, the costume worn by this faggot-gatherer is the more typical dress of a younger woman in the country. Above her waraji may be seen the momohiki and a long petticoat (koshimaki) of muslin (or crepe for the better classes). In this instance it is red. Beneath this garment would be a short petticoat (yumoji), a rectangular cloth wrapped around the loins, and a short chemise (shita-juban) , both likely of white cotton material. This underwear when worn by the middle and upper classes is of delicate crepe. The collar (han-yeri) which protects beyond [43] 4 Field Museum of Natural History the outer dress or kimono is attached to the shita-juban and is almost always of a richer material than the body of that inner garment. A long shirt reaching to the ankles, and called naga juban, is sometimes worn. Pea- sant women enwrap their heads with a blue cotton towel and usually protect their kimono with an apron (mayedare) . While working, they tie back their long sleeves with cords (tasuki) generally red in color, which pass under the arms, cross in the back and tie on the left side. ORDINARY DRESS FOR WOMEN While the peasant woman would wear a single kimono likely of cotton ornamented with a stenciled design, the majority of Japanese women for formal occasions wear two or three kimono, the collars of which project beyond the roll collar of the outer garment. This loose robe, familiar to Europeans as a dressing robe, has quite a different appearance in the land of its origin. Brilliantly colored and gaudily decorated kimono are worn only by singing girls (geisha) and courtesans (joro) and much that has ap- pealed to European taste would be disdained even by these women. Silk material of various weaves and weights is used for the majority of the dress kimono, cotton being employed for every day garments and for the yukata, a kimono worn by both men and women in warm, weather within the house or to the bath. Sober striped crepe or inconspicuous all-over designs are preferred for street costume and daily wear. (Figs. 3 and 4.) Heavy crepe similar to canton crepe is the material used for the winter costume for formal occasions. This is entirely or partially lined with white brocade silk, often padded with floss silk to give added warmth. The garment is usually heavily padded around the bottom and thereby gracefully trails on the ground. For summer formal wear, thin weaves of silk, particu- [44] Japanese Costume & larly that known as "screen weave," are preferred. On these so-called ceremonial garments the wearer's crest is printed or woven in five places : on sleeves, bust, and back. They are further decorated, though with marked restraint, by embroidered, painted, or woven designs around the lower part of the skirt, and occasion- ally on the lower edges of the sleeves. Flowers or na- ture motives appropriate for the seasons are chosen for the garments of varying weights (See Cases 5 and 6 in Room 30, Second Floor). Gray, brown, mauve and soft blues are the shades preferred by the young unmarried women, even more sober shades are worn by matrons. The wedding robe is white as are the garments worn at a funeral by the relatives of the de- ceased. It is only during the first part of the wedding, however, that white is worn. A bride retires during the customary feast and changes to colored kimono, at least one of which, the furisode, is quite gorgeous in decoration. It is made with very long sleeves which sweep the floor when the bride is seated. Over this is almost always worn a loose coat (uchikake) likewise handsomely embroidered or painted. It also has the extremely long sleeves. Owing to the simplicity of the pattern, the kimono is very often made in the home. It is composed of straight strips of silk of eighteen inch width, usually sewn together with long stitches to facilitate ripping apart for cleaning or washing. The strips, after washing, are stretched upon boards for drying, thus doing away with necessity of ironing. Cotton garments are often left intact and stretched on a bamboo pole which passes through the arm holes. The bag-like, sweeping sleeves, which are sewed on in a straight seam about twelve inches long, are closed up the front save for the opening for the hand, and left open at the back.

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